Once upon a time I didn’t know what a sheet mask was. This was also the time in my life when I splashed my face with hot water each evening and then called it a day. Then, out of the blue, a Face Shop opened in my area! My curiosity was piqued, and the first thing I saw when I entered the store was a GIANT WALL of sheet masks.

What are sheet masks, I asked the sales associate. She explained to me they are sheets of pulp (or other things, like gel) cut in round circles to cover the face with little holes for your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Fruit Extract: Cucumber is a source of antioxidants and vitamin C, and may brighten skin. It has been used as a skin conditioning agent (due to its anti-inflammatory effects) for centuries.

Phaseolus Radiatus {Mung Bean) Extract: Mung bean is used to condition the skin and has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Betula Platyphylla Japonica {Japanese White Birch) Bark Extract: The Japanese White Birch is another skin conditioning agent and antioxidant. Historically, it was used to treat rheumatism.

Appearance: The Face Shop Real Nature Sheet Mask in Cucumber comes in a simple tear open pouch. When I removed the mask from its pouch, there was a considerable amount of essence left behind. It smelled like cucumbers, if cucumbers had been left to ferment overnight in a vat of floral perfume. I enjoyed the scent myself, but others sensitive to fragrance might mind.

Essence: The mask itself was soaked in essence. So soaked, in fact, that it was slippery and difficult to open. After wrestling it into submission (while essence dripped everywhere all over my shirt and the floor), I finally got the darn thing on my face. The essence was tacky on my skin at first, and that sensation lingered as I moved to the next steps of my skin care routine.

Fit: The fit? Not so good. Either this mask is huge or my head is tiny, because the eyeholes gaped, the nose gaped, and the chin drooped. When my fiancée came back home from the gym (after exclaiming “GAH!”), he said that the mask looked like it was melting off my face. Next time I use one of these masks I’ll be cutting it with scissors so it fits better.

Effect: Fit aside, the mask was refreshing to wear. My dry skin soaked up the essence quickly, and I patted the leftovers from the pouch onto my face. My skin felt soft after using, so the mask certainly did what it was supposed to do. Here are before and after photos:

My skin before the sheet mask.

My skin after the sheet mask.

As you can see, my skin is shiny and plumped with moisture in the after shot.

Conclusion:

I liked this mask, but I didn’t love it. It was hydrating, yes, but the fit wasn’t the best and it left my skin feeling soft but sticky. I’ll use up the others of this kind in my stash, but I think I’ll continue to look for another sheet mask that hydrates.

Winter, R. (2009). A consumer’s dictionary of cosmetic ingredients: complete information about the harmful and desirable ingredients found in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. United States: Three Rivers Press.